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Students of Dhaka University (DU) on Friday gathered in front of the Shahbagh Police Station demanding arrest of the people involved in the murder of their fellow student Shahriar Alam Shammo.
The protest under the banner of general students led by those of Shammo's Institute of Education and Research (IER) also demanded exemplary punishment to those involved in the incident and a safe campus.
Around 11:30 am, several hundred students of the university gathered at the premises of the Raju sculptures. Later, from there, the students went to Shahbagh Police Station to inquire about the progress in Shammo's murder. Some teachers were also with them at that time.
Calling the protest non-partisan, Ibrahim Munshi, a student of 27th batch of IER, from the protest rally said, some political parties started using the murder as part of their own political agenda.
However, "our main demand is justice for Shammo. Even though 72 hours have passed since Shammo's murder, the person who stabbed him has not been arrested," he added.
"We have not come here to attack anyone, we have not come here to demand resignation of anyone. We have come with a demand for arrest and trial of the main accused. If the remaining miscreants are not arrested within 48 hours, we will organise a program to surround Shahbagh police station."
Shammo's classmate Toufiq-ul Islam said, the main accused in the murder had not been arrested yet. "We do not see that effort either. Even if the people the police have arrested are involved, they are not the main accused."
Toufiq warned that if they were not arrested within 48 hours, this non-violent movement would take a different form.
Shahbagh Police Station OC Mohammad Khalid Mansur said a case was filed naming 10 to 12 people as accused from the deceased family.
Police earlier arrested three youths following the murder. OC Mansur said that Shammo's friend had given information that two of them were at the scene.
The three arrested were sent to jail on a court order.
On the same day, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) leaders and activists held a protest march and rally over Shammo's murder and demanded resignation of Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan and Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed.
Shammo, a JCD activist, was stabbed to death on Tuesday night at Suhrawardy Udyan. He was laid to rest in his native village Saratail under Belkuchi Upazila in Sirajganj district.
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